As part of the replacement of its Soviet-era An-32s and Il-76s, the Indian Air Force is considering its options. Currently, the leading contenders are the C-390 Millennium and the C-130J Super Hercules. The winning bidder will be required to equip the Air Force with 60 new transport aircraft through the Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) program. This initiative aims to modernize part of the country’s tactical transport fleet and replace Soviet-era aircraft that have been in service for decades.
The program recently received approval from the Defence Procurement Board (DPB), chaired by India’s Secretary of Defence, R. K. Singh. The DPB reviews military procurement projects before submitting them to the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) for Acceptance of Need (AoN), the stage prior to the bidding process, testing, negotiations, and eventual contract award.
The initiative entails an estimated investment of nearly 100 billion rupees and will be developed under a “Buy and Make” scheme. According to defense sector sources, 12 aircraft will be purchased directly from the manufacturer for immediate delivery, while the remaining 48 will be produced in India in partnership with local industry, in line with government policies to strengthen the national industrial base.
The new transport aircraft will primarily replace the Antonov An-32 fleet, which was acquired in the mid-1980s and is currently affected by increasing maintenance requirements and a dwindling availability of spare parts. At the same time, the new aircraft will assume some of the roles currently performed by the Ilyushin Il-76, a higher-capacity model but with high operating and maintenance costs, which has led the Indian Air Force to evaluate more efficient alternatives.
Among the requirements set by the Indian Air Force is the ability to operate in high-altitude environments and from short or semi-prepared runways, including forward operating bases in regions such as Ladakh and the northeast of the country. These operational capabilities are considered key to sustaining military deployments in mountainous and border areas, where air transport plays a central role in the movement of troops and equipment.
In this context, the competition brings together three main proposals from international manufacturers. The Brazilian company Embraer presented the C-390 Millennium, a jet transport aircraft with a payload capacity of approximately 26 tons, while the American company Lockheed Martin is offering the C-130J Super Hercules, a model already used by the Indian Air Force and with a capacity of around 20 tons. Airbus, for its part, also proposed the A400M Atlas, a larger aircraft with a payload capacity exceeding 30 tons, placing it above the main range of requirements set by the Indian Air Force.
Industrial alliances are also a central part of the proposals submitted. Embraer is participating in the tender in partnership with Mahindra Defence, while Lockheed Martin maintains a consolidated industrial relationship with Tata Advanced Systems Limited, a company with which it carries out production activities in India. These partnerships align with the government’s goal of strengthening local production and expanding technology transfer in the aerospace sector.
According to defense sources, the final choice will not depend solely on the aircraft’s technical specifications. “The decision will be driven by both industrial factors and operational capabilities,” explained one source, who added that “technology transfer, domestic production, and maintenance will be key factors. It’s not just about the aircraft, but the entire ecosystem that supports it.”
The MTA program has a history of previous attempts that failed to move forward, including a joint development project with Russia that was ultimately canceled. With the recent approval of the DPB, the process has regained momentum and could advance to the bidding phase after several years of delays, in a context where modernizing the transport fleet has become a priority for the Indian Air Force.
*Images for illustrative purposes only.
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